Disaster averted: Delhi Daredevils team vacate runway in last minute as another flight lands on same strip

Mumbai: A Raipur-bound IndiGo plane from Kolkata carrying 167 passengers, including the Delhi Daredevils IPL team, vacated the runway in the "nick of time" as another flight, a Jet Airways plane from Mumbai had landed on the same runway by that time, avoiding a possible mishap, sources said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched a probe into the incident, which happened today morning, they said.

"During taxiing, another aircraft was landing, so our plane had to take a right turn. There was absolutely no panic among our players," a DD team official said.

Raipur is the second home ground of the GMR group-owned Delhi DareDevils team in the Indian Premier League. The team is set to play a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.

When contacted, IndiGo said its flight 6E-245 from Kolkata to Raipur landed safely in Raipur on runway 24 after carrying out an ILS approach.

"It (the flight) was thereafter advised by ATC to back track on the same runway. Jet Airways flight 9W-377 scheduled to approach runway 24 requested to carry out a visual approach, which was cleared by ATC," the airline said in a statement.

"While IndiGo plane was back tracking, as per regular procedure, ATC advised the aircraft to vacate via taxiway 'D' which leads to the isolation bay to avoid Jet Airways 9W-377 to discontinue approach," IndiGo said.

IndiGo aircraft entered the isolation back and in the meantime 9W-377 landed safely on runway 24, the statement said adding IndiGo plane was cleared to taxi after Jet Airways lane vacated the runway and the IndiGo aircraft parked safely on the main apron.